Slash: I Was Skeptical About Axl Rose in AC/DC, But He Was Great

In 2016, the world was shocked when Brian Johnson was forced to leave AC/DC and Guns N’ Roses vocalist Axl Rose took Johnson’s spot. Many were skeptical that Rose could fill the AC/DC legend’s massive shoes, including Axl’s longtime GN’R bandmate Slash.

One gig in Belgium saw 7,000 fans request ticket refunds after Rose was announced as Brian Johnson’s replacement. Thankfully, the Axl experiment worked, with the GN’R frontman delivering powerful performances night after night.

“The Axl-doing-AC/DC thing, I went and checked that out, and it was awesome,” Slash tells the Los Angeles Times. “I was probably as skeptical as anybody because of the iconic status of the band, and he pulled it off and it was great. I'm probably a little bit more intimidated about the idea of having to fill someone's shoes — someone that I look up to or had a big influence on me. If I was going to get that phone call, I'd want to do it in a band that no one would expect me to be in."

As for the future of AC/DC, photos of Brian Johnson and ousted drummer Phil Rudd at Vancouver’s Warehouse Studios recently surfaced, causing fans to speculate that both musicians are back with the Aussie legends. Angus and Stevie Young were also spotted at the studio where the group recorded Rock or Bust, adding to the speculation.

Where Do AC/DC Rank Among the Top 50 Hard Rock + Metal Live Acts of All Time?